Facts of Japan - Manga

Updated on May 17, 2011

Japanese originally used Chinese
characters with their own ones to have their language. The Chinese characters
used to write the word Manga actually means Whimsical drawings. This word first
came to be known during 18th century only. Santo Kyoden’s published
picture book Shiji no Yokikai, which was published in 1798, the 19th
century work namely Aikawa Minwa’s Manga hyakujo and the much popular Hokusai
Manga books were the beginning sources of Manga. The modern sense of Manga has been used by Rakuten Kitazawa.

Manga refers to the comics and
printed cartoons. The style was actually developed in the late 19th
century only in Japan. After he world war the modern style and form was
developed. In Japan, almost every one reads Manga. It consists of such a wide
range of genres that it serves to all ages. The broader range that Manga covers
are: romance, action-adventure, historical drama, sports and games, science
fiction, comedy, horror, sexuality, mystery, business and commerce and many
others.

An example of the way you read the original manga.

Manga has become such a major part
of the Japanese publishing industry since 1950. It has a market of 406 billion
yen in Japan. Not only in Japan but also the US and Canadian market share of
Manga is almost 175 million dollars.

The typical Manga work is printed in
White and black. The color range also exists. Usually serials are done in Manga
in leading magazines and each Manga is presented as an episode which continues
in the next episode. The successful serials are later published in a paperback
edition called Tankabon. A Manga artist is called Mangaka in Japanese. He
usually works in a small studio with some assistants and a creative editor from
a leading publishing company. Some popular Manga serials are even animated even
though Manga serials are usually based on well known live stories.

Manga has a larger influence even
outside Japan. The Manhua from Taiwan, Manhwa in South Korea and Manhua from
Hong Kong are influenced by Japanese Manga only. Even in France, the Bande
Dessinee is influenced by Japanese Manga only. In United States the Manga
styled comics are referred as Amerimanga or World Manga.

The modern Manga was actually shaped by two broad processes which are
complementary in nature. One of these two views emphasize that during the US
occupation of Japan, the culture and art and themes and films brought to Japan
by the Western people influenced Japanese Manga. The other one emphasizes that
the Japanese traditional culture and art that existed before these outside
influence is the central theme of Manga.

But whatever is the influence, the
modern Manga which originated during and after the world war was such an
explosion and it grew like a giant. The Astro Boy by Osamu Tezuka has become
the popular one the world over. Then again the animated version of Sazee-San is
still a celebrated one in Japan and it draws more viewers than any other TV
program. The stylistic innovations used in these Manga are the basic for their
success.

Tezuka used such cinematographic
techniques like slow motion, motion picture panel, rapid zooms and close up
shots etc. to give a grandeur look to his works. This is the origin and base
for the artists that followed Manga in later years. Hasegawa’s detailing of
daily life and women’s experiences are truly characterized in Shojo Manga.

Interestingly, after 1950 the
largest readership had emerged for Manga and then after two types of Manga came
out. They are Shonen Manga meant for boys and Shojo Manga meant for girls. Apart
from males, female Manga groups came into prominence in 1969 that were later
called as Year 24 Group.

The modern Shojo Manga projects
intense life with romance as its theme. For the males Manga has been
sun-divided according to the age group. The roles of Manga characters have
considerably changed over time. Japan relaxed Manga censorship in 1990 and from
then on many sexual Manga themes developed for the adult male readers.

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